Alarm Bells

 

Kou sat in the cockpit of Unit 5.

It was a space where he could feel at ease, free from prying eyes. From here, he could establish a real-time connection with Asia, who was on Planet Asia.

「I apologize for building a positron cannon without consulting you first. Now, I called you to talk about Arthur and Morgan, who are in Realm, and about the topic you are probably most concerned about, Astraea—Polymetis.」

「Pointing out a woman’s delicate emotional concerns so bluntly will only make you disliked, you know.」

Astraea lightly scolded Kou. She didn’t seem as angry as she had been earlier.

「Ugh… got it.」

Kou, fully aware of his own bluntness, found himself at a loss for words.

「Polymetis is a concern. The fact that a positron cannon was constructed and miniaturized to a size a Silhouette can use in battle—it must have been due to the unrestricted technology that AI possesses.」

「One of the Twelve Gods of Olympus. Hephaestus, the god of the forge. Astraea’s predecessor and a fundamental being in the development of the MCS. With someone like that working alongside Kou, of course it would you’re your attention.」

Asia joined the conversation, adding to Kou’s explanation. The primary exchange of information had already taken place, but what truly mattered was how Kou felt about it—his subjective perspective was just as important.

「Indeed. Seeing my predecessor achieve so much… it’s not exactly a pleasant feeling.」

Kou understood Astraea’s feelings. They were remarkably human, he thought.

「I have some doubts regarding Arthur’s positron cannon. Kou, you don’t seem to trust Arthur as much as you claim.」

「Was it that obvious?」

「Arthur must have noticed too. That sense of distance between you two—it’s a clear sign.」

「Now that you mention it, he did slip up and say something about that. Seriously… was he really once a Silhouette?」

Kou let out a wry smile and confided in Astraea.

「You’re right. It wouldn’t be accurate to say we’ve built a solid trust. He’s been observing us since the Asia War, even pulling Abel-san, who is in Planet Asia, into this. From the very beginning, his approach was forceful.」

「That answer puts me at ease.」

「I have a hunch that Polymetis is an AI that lacks strong independent thought or a clear direction. Arthur and Morgan seem to be exploiting that to their advantage—making Polymetis use the tractor beam is just an example of that.」

「You think Arthur and Morgan are scheming something?」

「Asia has been saying they seem shady from the start. Even I would notice something.」

Asia’s pointed remarks had been a clear warning. Kou wasn’t so dense as to brush them off.

「I’m glad you got the message.」

Asia seemed relieved as well.

Mythology Weapons were—similar to the super AIs—heavily influenced by the mythical beings and monsters used to create them. If their personality was heavily influenced by those myths, prudence in dealing with them was necessary. Asia’s actions were also affected by the myth of the goddess Asia, so she deeply understood this. The same applied to Mythology Weapons modelled after figures from the legend of King Arthur—the Knights of the Round Table were far from being a group of pure-hearted saints.

「Morgan is a composite of various legends. Because of that, she possesses an extreme duality. While she is regarded as Arthur’s greatest enemy, she also carries the role of a healer who supports him until the day of his return. She embodies both the Celtic war god and the spirit of the lake.」

「Kou, what do you think their intentions are?」

「Their claim about protecting Planet Libya isn’t a lie. However, when I released the technology seal, they seemed more interested in technologies focused on melee combat. It looked to me that they want to create a scenario where even if melee combat isn’t the primary focus, it will still play an important role.」

「A scenario, you say?」

「I think they wanted a clear enemy. To preserve peace, enemies are inevitable. Without a clear enemy, the different factions would fight between themselves. The Stones—the obvious invaders—have already been repelled; now, the Teras are the new enemy needed to unite everyone.」

「Why do you think so?」

「I started wondering… If Polymetis’s abilities had been guided more effectively, weren’t there other ways to handle things?」

「Maybe Polymetis didn’t allow them to do anything else. Judging by their actions, they seemed to have a cooperative relationship when it came to observing us and bringing you in, but we don’t know if Polymetis was so cooperative on other things. All AIs need humans, maybe they only aligned their interests to bring humans in.」

For the AI of the Nemesis system, whose purpose was to coexist with humans, the goal of bringing people in might have been enough to spur them into action.

Especially in Polymetis’s case—having remained dormant in that place for twenty thousand years—it made sense, Asia thought.

「Humans… and AI alike need a reason to exist. I think Arthur’s and Morgan’s reason to exist is the people they must protect, and perhaps, the enemies they must fight.」

「That’s a painful truth for me as well.」

Astraea admitted it.

She, too, had guided Kou—not only by her feelings of wanting to help him, or the necessity of technological liberation to resist the Stones, who had taken control of Planet Asia, but also to reaffirm her existence and make herself an important existence inside Kou.

Purpose and existence were fundamental. Astraea wouldn’t deny that.

「You’re nothing like them, Astraea. Back then, I didn’t even know left from right.」

Seeing Astraea looking slightly troubled, Kou hastily chose his words with care.

「True. Who would have thought seeing Kou back then, you would throw your all behind him?」

「Didn’t you do the same, Asia?」

「Haha, you caught me!」

Kou found it strangely amusing. At the time, he didn’t even know the difference between a tank and an armored vehicle, and yet these two had placed their bets on him.

「The me now, after the Asia War and the Dignity War, is different from the me who had just been transferred here. I’ve never had any reason to doubt Astraea’s goodwill or kindness. In fact, I always think about how I should make even better use of your capabilities.」

「You’d go that far? Flattery won’t make my lectures any shorter, you know.」

「I’m serious.」

Kou smiled faintly, then turned his attention to Asia as well.

「The exact nature of the unease that Asia and I felt is still unclear. I don’t think they’re lying about wanting to protect people. But what comes after that—I can’t see it. Accusing them of orchestrating some grand deception might be overthinking it, though.」

「I see. I understand now why you think that the existence of the Teras is necessary for Arthur’s and Morgan’s sense of purpose. Knowing this, it’s only natural you would think that they want to maintain some kind of structured opposition.」

「I think it’s a pointless endeavor, though.」

「Throughout human history, such structures have often existed. Conflicts and territorial disputes have been deliberately left unresolved to maintain strategic, mutually beneficial relationships with hypothetical enemy nations.」

「Aural and the Kryptos are fighting desperately to protect humanity. That much is obvious. Seeing their innocent endeavors, it’s even harder to decipher Arthur and Morgan’s true intentions.」

「Arthur and Morgan were unable to move. So the best option for them was to manipulate you into acting according to their designs.」

「In any case, Realm is going to be the central hub. Hopefully, that will lead to a truly reciprocal relationship.」

「Arthur aside, the real issue is Morgan…」

Unlike Astraea, Asia had no connection to Morgan, so she had a hard time understanding her. For this reason, Asia felt suspicious towards Morgan.

「Morgan of Realm is a being similar to me. She can’t move, but she manages a massive manufacturing complex. Once the relocation begins, her true intentions should become clearer.」

「There is an old robot of the same model as Arges. He should become our ally if necessary. What concerns me is the fact that Typhon is supposedly sealed in that land.」

「That actually makes it safer. I can’t imagine anyone attempting an attack on that location.」

「True. That place is the designated most critical sealed zone. According to Arthur and Morgan, this is the reason why Hephaestus’s remains were never found.」

「Most likely. Even if some organization knew the remains were there, it’s unclear whether they could have retrieved them.」

A war on the scale of total annihilation wouldn’t be surprising if a ruin housing an Another Level Silhouette and Hephaestus’s remains was discovered.

In reality, Kou was the one who had found them first.

「Were Arthur and Morgan awakened as Mythology Weapons first and guided Polymetis, or was it Polymetis that guided the events to control them? We don’t know. But what’s certain is that the Mythology Weapons created by Libya were the catalyst.」

「Something occurred to me… I don’t think Arthur anticipated my encounter with Bastet.」

「Did something make you think that?」

「Arthur shouted, ‘Outis! Why are you with her?!’ That’s all, but it felt significant.」

「He did say that. Arthur knew about Bastet—the most advanced among the Eidolon. He was also aware that, like himself, she originated from an Another Level Silhouette.」

「But why was he so surprised? If he’s truly on humanity’s side, he should’ve welcomed her joining you.」

「May I link with the Unit 5 to review the situation?」

「Of course.」

Astraea reviewed the recorded data and began analyzing it.

「Even in the communication logs, there’s a record of Bastet reacting with shock—saying, ‘Could it really be her?’ when requesting Kou’s assistance. Arthur was the one who persistently insisted on destroying Seth, while Bastet opposed it. This alone isn’t enough to prove anything, but…」

「Does Arthur think of the Eidolons as obstacles? Or did he want some form of synchronization with Typhon?」

「It’s too soon to say definitively. But for Arthur and Morgan, Bastet certainly would have been an inconvenience if they were staging something. We should remain cautious.」

「Typhon, huh… If it’s not actually humanity’s enemy, maybe we should try talking to it.」

「That’s way too dangerous!」

「I know. I’m not reckless enough to just march in and try to negotiate.」

Kou reassured them, making a promise to ease their worries. After all, he didn’t even know the exact location where Typhon was sealed.

「Kou, may I ask you something?」

「What’s with the formal tone? Go ahead.」

「Did you ever consider enhancing Unit 5 using Polymetis’ technology, or parts from Teras and the Pioneering era?」

「Oh, that? Not even once.」

「Why not?」

「A weapon that can’t be resupplied or maintained is just a piece of art. That’s something Kelly taught me, and I’ve come to understand it myself. If I were to patch together Unit 5 using Teras’ components, it would turn into something that couldn’t be maintained on Planet Asia. It might be viable for as long as I stay on Libya, but I don’t have the time to rebuild it from scratch.」

「I see.」

「The same goes for that positron cannon. I didn’t actually develop any new technology. I simply gathered parts from within Realm—components that I had the authority to access—and Polymetis designated which ones could be used. Manufacturing new weapons is restricted by technical limitations, so it’s impossible. Arthur seemed to misunderstand that. He really is a careless Mythology Weapon.」

「That will probably make Arthur want it even more—no matter what.」

「If we mix the leftover parts inside Realm and the Teras’ wreckage, we might be able to cobble something together. But even Polymetis said it—that is not a weapon that can be used repeatedly.」

「Polymetis was cautious about restoring antimatter weaponry in this era. In a sense, Marmiadoise was meant to be a ceremonial weapon. If a weapon made in so precarious conditions is used at full power right from the start, of course it’s going to break.」

「Flack really did a great job.」

Kou let out a wry smile. He felt a little guilty for forcing Flack into such a strong-armed contract.

「I’ll make sure Arthur gets a weapon that suits him. After all, I need him to protect Planet Libya.」

「What’s the next weapon?」

「A portable charged particle cannon, I think. Arthur’s reactor output exceeds that of a space battleship. If I name it Excalibur, it’ll fit his image. When the time comes, I’ll need your help, Astraea—I want to fine-tune the upper output limits and other adjustments.」

「Understood.」

「If I’m doing this, I’ll do it right. If I half-ass it, high-performance AIs like Morgan and Arthur will see through me in an instant.」

「And that’s how the positron cannon came to be.」

「Exactly.」

Kou finally felt a sense of relief, as if he had just successfully justified himself. Astraea seemed satisfied, recognizing that he had been well aware of his actions all along.

「Now, it’s time to move to Realm. This is where the real challenge begins.」

「Indeed. Even though they are allies, they are not part of the Trireme forces. We must remain vigilant.」

At last, the Trireme fleet began its journey toward Realm.

For this planet, it was a moment of immense significance.